Hold dialogues to avoid confrontation

A political consensus through dialogues is now urgently needed to avoid possible violence in the days ahead, said eminent citizens at a dialogue yesterday.

Citing the fact that major political parties are at odds over the upcoming national polls, several of them opined that all should join the dialogue with an open mind and that the government should take steps to hold the talks.

The Hunger Project in collaboration with Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujon) organised the dialogue at the Cirdap Auditorium in the capital.

Political scientist Prof Rounaq Jahan said nobody disagrees that a dialogue between the two major parties should be held.

Political parties must reach a consensus so that the lives and livelihoods of the leaders and activists of the party defeated in polls are not affected afterwards, she said.

"We need to change the political culture. Considering that it might be neutral, the caretaker government system was introduced after a lot of hard work. But we saw how it was made partisan," said Prof Rounaq, also a distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue.

She said the parties cannot agree to talks but they agree on lawmakers getting duty-free cars, special allocations for the development work in their constituencies, and other benefits.

Nobody in power wants to quit, she added.

Shujon Central Coordinator Dilip Kumar Sarkar said people expect a free, fair, participatory, and peaceful national election but the existing political situation is not conducive to participatory polls.

The Awami League and its allies want polls under a partisan government in line with the constitution while the BNP and other parties want polls under a neutral election-time government.

Dhaka University Prof Robaet Ferdous said people fear that violence and bloodshed await.

Shujon Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said Bangladesh is going through a transition period and a dangerous time and that it was high time the parties sat for talks.

Former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumdar said dialogues for peace are held even during wars. "No dialogue is effective if the parties are uncompromising."

"The changeover after 1/11 [January 11, 2007] came following the lack of consensus among political parties," he added.

Justice MA Matin, a former judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, said people panic every five years when the election nears. There should be a law on the transfer of power with provisions that the new government cannot arrest and sue opposition leaders in the first year of the government's tenure, he said.

He said the joint declaration of three alliances that were then waging a movement against HM Ershad said all problems would be solved only through dialogue. "But politicians seem to have forgotten that."

Former BNP MP Harunur Rashid said every problem can be solved through dialogue. "If anyone says 'With whom we will sit for talks?' it means he or she is dodging the responsibility."

He said if the ruling party tried to hold a one-sided election, the crisis would deepen.

Nagarik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna said the atmosphere for dialogue does not exist and that the prime minister should quit.

AL MP Nahim Razzaq said, "We can't deny that it's a tough situation. We need a solution. For that, we have to sacrifice something …."

He said that since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is leading the government, he is hopeful of a dialogue. Discussions are needed for a permanent solution, and if that happens, it would be a milestone.

Communist Party of Bangladesh General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said the election system is broken and it has virtually turned into a selection system. Nepotism is widespread. "We need a complete overhaul of the system."

Among others, Chief Coordinator of Gono Sanghati Andolon Zonayed Saki, local governance expert Prof Tofail Ahmed, Socialist Party of Bangladesh Assistant General Secretary Razequzzaman Ratan, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh leader Akbar Khan, eight representatives of Shujan from eight divisions also spoke at the programme.